Spinnerbait fishing lure and frame therefor

Abstract

A spinnerbait fishing lure and frame therefor that is sufficiently rigid to minimize system losses and thereby create more blade-induced vibration. The frame has a first leg, a second leg extending from the first leg to cause the frame to have a V-shaped profile lying in a plane, and a vertex defined by the first and second legs, wherein the frame at least predominantly has a flat outer cross-sectional shape.

1 . A spinnerbait fishing lure having a frame comprising a first leg, a second leg extending from the first leg to cause the frame to have a V-shaped profile lying in a plane, and a vertex of the frame defined by the first and second legs, wherein the frame at least predominantly has a flat outer cross-sectional shape.  
   
   
       2 . A spinnerbait fishing lure according to  claim 1 , wherein the flat outer cross-sectional shape of the frame is at least predominantly defined by oppositely-disposed planar surfaces substantially parallel to the plane of the frame.  
   
   
       3 . A spinnerbait fishing lure according to  claim 1 , wherein the flat outer cross-sectional shape of the frame at least predominantly has a quadrangular shape defined by an oppositely-disposed first pair of flat surfaces substantially parallel to the plane of the frame and an oppositely-disposed second pair of surfaces intersecting the first pair of surfaces.  
   
   
       4 . A spinnerbait fishing lure according to  claim 1 , wherein the flat outer cross-sectional shape of the frame is defined by an oppositely-disposed first pair of flat surfaces substantially parallel to the plane of the frame and an oppositely-disposed second pair of surfaces intersecting the first pair of surfaces, wherein each of the first pair of surfaces has an outermost width dimension that is greater than an outermost width dimension of each of the second pair of surfaces such that the frame exhibits greater rigidity to deflection in the plane of the frame than to deflection out of the plane of the frame.  
   
   
       5 . A spinnerbait fishing lure according to  claim 4 , wherein the outermost width dimensions of the first pair of surfaces are not constant but vary along the lengths of the first and second legs, and wherein the outermost width dimensions of the second pair of surfaces are substantially constant along the lengths of the first and second legs.  
   
   
       6 . A spinnerbait fishing lure according to  claim 1 , wherein the first leg is substantially straight.  
   
   
       7 . A spinnerbait fishing lure according to  claim 1 , wherein the second leg has a substantially straight portion immediately adjacent the first leg, a distal portion defining a distal end of the second leg, and a curved portion between and adjoining the straight and distal portions such that the distal portion is not parallel to the straight portion.  
   
   
       8 . A spinnerbait fishing lure according to  claim 1 , further comprising through-holes defined in the frame and extending through a thickness of the flat outer cross-sectional shape.  
   
   
       9 . A spinnerbait fishing lure according to  claim 8 , wherein the thickness of the flat outer cross-sectional shape of the frame is defined by a distance between two oppositely-disposed planar surfaces substantially parallel to the plane of the frame.  
   
   
       10 . A spinnerbait fishing lure according to  claim 8 , further comprising means for attaching at least one rotatable blade to the first leg, means for attaching a hook to the second leg, and means for attaching a fishing line to the frame, wherein at least one of the blade-attaching means, the hook-attaching means, and the line-attaching means comprises at least one of the through-holes.  
   
   
       11 . A spinnerbait fishing lure according to  claim 10 , wherein each of the blade-attaching means, the hook-attaching means, and the line-attaching means comprises at least one of the through-holes.  
   
   
       12 . A spinnerbait fishing lure according to  claim 8 , wherein a plurality of the through-holes are defined and spaced along the length of the first leg.  
   
   
       13 . A spinnerbait fishing lure according to  claim 1 , wherein the frame is formed of a stainless steel or a titanium alloy free of any intentional additions of nickel.  
   
   
       14 . A spinnerbait fishing lure according to  claim 1 , wherein the frame is formed by a process chosen from the group consisting of injection molding, induction casting, and stamping.  
   
   
       15 . A spinnerbait fishing lure according to  claim 1 , further comprising a rotatable blade attached to the first leg of the frame.  
   
   
       16 . A spinnerbait fishing lure according to  claim 1 , further comprising a hook attached to the second leg of the frame.  
   
   
       17 . A spinnerbait fishing lure according to  claim 16 , further comprising a bait attached to the second leg of the frame adjacent the hook so as to conceal the hook.  
   
   
       18 . A spinnerbait fishing lure frame formed to have a first leg, a second leg extending from the first leg to cause the frame to have a V-shaped profile lying in a plane, a vertex defined by the first and second legs, means for attaching at least one blade to the first leg, means for attaching a hook to the second leg, and means for attaching a fishing line to the frame, wherein each of the frame and the first and second legs thereof has a flat outer cross-sectional shape.  
   
   
       19 . A spinnerbait fishing lure frame according to  claim 18 , wherein the flat outer cross-sectional shape of the frame is defined by an oppositely-disposed first pair of flat surfaces substantially parallel to the plane of the frame and an oppositely-disposed second pair of surfaces intersecting the first pair of surfaces, wherein each of the first pair of surfaces has an outermost width dimension that is greater than an outermost width dimension of each of the second pair of surfaces such that the frame exhibits greater rigidity to deflection in the plane of the frame than to deflection out of the plane of the frame.  
   
   
       20 . A spinnerbait fishing lure frame according to  claim 18 , further comprising through-holes defined in the frame and extending through a thickness of the flat outer cross-sectional shape, wherein at least one of the blade-attaching means, the hook-attaching means, and the line-attaching means comprises at least one of the through-holes.